Apply for Care Connect

What happens once you have applied?

We will agree a suitable date to visit you in your own home, conduct a survey and to gather personal data, this is so that we are aware of your personal needs. A monitoring alarm unit will then be installed.

What is Care Connect?

Care Connect offers an alarm monitoring and response service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to your home. We provide assistance and reassurance and will deal with emergency situations and concerns as they arise, dispatching our trained staff when required.

We help customers to maintain independence in their own home through the use of technology. For example, we can install a bed sensor for people who are at risk of falling during the night. The sensor is unobtrusive and puts an alarm call through to the control centre if the person fails to return to bed within a specified period of time.

Who can benefit from the service?

Anyone who lives in County Durham who feels they are vulnerable or at risk could benefit from the reassurance and assistance the service can provide. This includes those who:

are older people

have a medical condition, either short term or long-term

feel they are vulnerable and/or feel isolated

have a learning disability

have a mental health condition

Other people can use the service if they just want security and peace of mind, with the knowledge that the service is available for them 24 hours a day.

What can the service offer you?

We offer 24 hour a day, 365 days a year assistance and reassurance when you contact us through your home monitoring alarm. Our fully trained staff will assess your needs and contact appropriate services when necessary.

What do I need to be connected to the service?

For the monitoring alarm system to be installed in your home, you need to have a working telephone line which accepts incoming and outgoing calls and have an electrical socket close by. Alternatively we can install a portable alarm system if there is no phone line available or you must be living in a property which has an existing pull cord system.

How does the service work?

Requesting assistance

Once the alarm is installed, to request assistance you will press the alarm in your home. This will put a direct call through to our control room. Staff will respond to your call and offer support and reassurance. A member of staff will be sent to your home if necessary and will identify where you might need additional assistance or support. For example, if you need support where you have been injured through a fall, staff will contact emergency services and stay with you until support arrives.

Visits and equipment maintenance

We will visit your property annually to review your personal data or when there has been a change in circumstances. We will also check that your monitoring alarm equipment is in good working order.

Service charges

From April 2017 to March 2018 the charge is £4.91 per week + VAT There is an additional charge of £3.07 per week + VAT if a Portable Alarm System is installed.

There is a one-off connection charge of £25, this will be advised at installation.

Additional features can be incorporated into your support package, at a small charge. These include (all prices subject to VAT):

If you are unsure whether you are eligible for VAT exemption, please contact the HM Revenues and Customs on 0300 123 1073 before filling this form in.

Cooling-off period

Our agreement with you allows you to access the service for up to 21 days before we request any payment. If at any time during this period you wish to terminate your agreement with us, the equipment will be removed without any charge. However the connection fee will still be payable.

Our mission statement

Our mission is to be altogether better as a team and in partnership with others. We will deliver a caring and supportive service 24 hours a day, to assist people to live independently in their own home, providing value for money and choice.

Customer satisfaction survey 2016

We have recently undergone a customer satisfaction survey to enable us to improve our services. If you have any questions relating to the results of the survey or wish to give added information then please contact us. Find the survey results below: